I don't recall where I first heard of Caleb Caudle--probably a shout-out from the ever-generous Aaron Lee Tasjan, who regularly calls attention to his peers. The first album I tried was Better Hurry Up, a soulful collection layered with piano and gorgeous vocal arrangements. "I'm driving/through the Smoky Mountains/in a Monte Carlo..." An excellent, confident record by this youngster (well, to me) from North Carolina. I liked it so much I bought 10 copies and gave them to friends.
I thought "Let's Get" might work for The Luggnuts. Short, simple, good parts for everyone. The piano showcases some of Rick Pollak's range, phrasing & timing. The bass & drum parts are soulful and propulsive, and once Mitch & Dan got them locked in, the song's bounce emerged. The harmonica converses with the keys, though I had to simplify the part because I'm using a rack while also playing guitar. The backing vocals are rich and extensive, and Ruth & Ann got those quickly. The solo vocal consists of exactly eight lines, but I love singing them: "Was it cause I always stood my ground/Chasing down an impossible sound?" A mission statement if I ever heard one. Chord pattern is a simple Em-C-D-G throughout. A lot of the song's power comes from its repetition and precise timing, so mastering it required us to work as a real ensemble. When Gary joined, he added some nice connecting phrases on electric guitar.
We play this one frequently at gigs. Sometimes it's really good ;-) But it's well worth sampling the original:
